Hilarious Thing Happened in Culture Quiz in French

[DannyFenton123]

So I'm in French in America, and they did this multiple choice quiz about manners in different cultures around the world. It was all pretty random (what do you not give to a Chinese couple on their wedding?) Being from England, I noticed two questions about English culture. One of them was:

 

'When you stick up your index and middle finger and point the back of your palm at someone, what does it mean?' It's of course the V sign, which is basically like giving the middle finger to somebody; sometimes I see people do it in America and I have to stop a moment to remember it doesn't mean anything here

 

So anyway we get to that question and before anybody answers the French teacher makes everyone try out the expression, so there's a circle of people doing the V sign and it's hilarious. Then she explains it's an insult (and points out that I won't even do it for some reason; I feel I was pretty much on display as 'the English kid' during that part of the lesson) and people start doing it at me. Now that I know they know it's an insult, I'm not really sure what to think. Are they trying to insult me, or is it just not sinking in that that gesture is a terrible thing to point at somebody?

 

Soooo basically I just got a ton of people giving me the two fingered salute in French. It was an interesting day. 

[Louis On Air]

V for victory? Oh wait that's the other way round. Anyway up yours k bye

[RedNeko]

That sounds like a weird experience

[Zema]

This makes me wonder, do brits ever use their middle finger in this fashion or do they only use this two fingered salute? Or do they use both? If brits use both, which is more common?

[Louis On Air]

Middle finger is more common, no one uses V since WWII but peace is used like everywhere else, and 2 finger up yours is still used more for piss off or I'm better than you as opposed to I hate you for the middle finger @Zemaddog